Prabhupada, December 1969, International Student Society, Boston — People say that the population is increasing, and therefore they are checking this by artificial means. Why? The birds and beasts are increasing their populations and have no contraceptives, but are they in need of food?
Do we ever see birds or animals dying for want of food? Perhaps in the city, although not very often. But if we go to the jungle we shall see that all the elephants, lions, tigers, and other animals are very stout and strong. Who is supplying them with food? Some of them are vegetarians and some of them are nonvegetarians, but none of them are in want of food.
Of course, by nature’s way the tiger, being a non-vegetarian, does not get food every day. After all, who will face a tiger to become its food? Who will say to the tiger, “Sir, I am an altruist and have come to you to give you food, so take my body”? No one. Therefore the tiger has difficulty finding food.
And as soon as the tiger is out, there is an animal that follows it and makes a sound like, “fayo, fayo”, so that the other animals will know, “Now the tiger is out.” So by nature’s way the tiger has difficulty. But still Krishna supplies it food. After about a week, the tiger will get the chance to catch an animal, and because it does not get fresh food daily, it will keep the carcass in some bush and eat a little at a time.
Since the tiger is very powerful, people want to become like a lion or a tiger. But that is not a very good proposition, because if one actually becomes like a tiger one won’t get food daily, but will have to search for food with great labor. If one becomes a vegetarian, however, one will get food every day. The food for a vegetarian is available everywhere.
Now in every city there are slaughterhouses, but does this mean that the slaughterhouses can supply enough so that one can live by eating only meat? No, there will not be an adequate supply. Even meat-eaters have to eat grains, fruits, and vegetables along with their slice of meat.
Still, for that daily slice of meat they kill so many poor animals. How sinful this is! If people commit such sinful activities, how can they be happy? This killing should not be done, but because it is being done people are unhappy. However, if one becomes Krishna conscious and simply depends on Krishna’s glance (tava viksitaih), Krishna will supply everything and there will be no question of scarcity.
Sometimes there appears to be scarcity, and sometimes we find that grains and fruits are produced in such a huge quantity that people cannot finish eating them. So this is a question of Krishna’s glance. If Krishna likes, He can produce a huge quantity of grains, fruits, and vegetables, but if Krishna desires to restrict the supply, what good will meat do? You may eat me, or I may eat you, but that will not solve the problem.
For real peace and tranquillity and a sufficient supply of milk, water, and everything else we need, we simply have to depend on Krishna. Full Lecture
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